Address  Delivered  ...  on  the 
Occasion  of  the  Opening  of  the 
Sixteenth  Industrial  Exhibition 
...  Mechanics'  Institute  of  San 
Francisco,  August  Sd,  1881 


'"ill lam  V.  Morrow 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT   LOS  ANGELES 


Robert  Ernest    Cowan 


ADDRESS 

WM.    W.    MORROW: 

AT  TIM: 

GRAND     OPERA      HOUSE, 


OPENING  OF  THE  SIXTEENTH  INDUSTRIAL  EXHIBITION 


MECHANICS'     INST  [TUT  K 


OF     SAN     FRANCISCO, 


AUGUST  2o,  1881. 


AN 


ADDRESS 


DELIVERED  BY 


WM.     W.     MORROW, 


GRAND     OPERA      HOUSE, 


ON  THE  OCCASION  OF  THE 


OPENING  OF  THE  SIXTEENTH  INDUSTRIAL  EXHIBITION 

HELD  UNDER  THE  AUSPICES  OF  THE 

MEGHAN  ICS'     INSTITUTE 

OF     SAN     FRANCISCO, 
AUGUST  2o,  1881. 


SAN  FRANCISCO  : 

EDWARD   BOSQUI  &  Co.,    PRINTERS. 
1831. 


f 


ADDRESS. 


Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen : 

A  distinguished  English  visitor,  after  six  weeks  of 
travel  in  the  United  States,  recently  arrived  in  San  Francisco. 

He  was,  of  course,  duly  welcomed,  and  asked  the  usual  question 
as  to  his  opinion  of  the  country  and  its  institutions.  His  reply  was 
a  candid  confession  that  he  did  not  feel  competent  to  pass  judgment 
on  the  affairs  of  a  country  based  upon  observations  made  from  the 
window  of  a  railroad  car. 

The  embarrassment  of  our  English*  friend  can  be  fully  appreciated 
by  any  one  who  will  attempt  to  gather  and  arrange  statistics  concern- 
ing our  present  progress  in  the  mechanical  arts  and  mechanical  and 
agricultural  productions.  We  are  speeding  along  so  rapidly  through 
depressions  and  over  altitudes,  that  broad  fields  of  facts,  on  either 
side  of  us,  drift  away  before  we  can  note  their  character  or  determine 
even  their  location. 

The  careful  and  conscientious  student  desiring  to  determine 
accurately  the  value  of  these  vast  industrial  fields,  must  stop  and 
proceed  patiently  and  systematically  to  investigate  details,  before  he 
can  render  a  judgment  that  shall  comprehend  all  the  elements  that 
go  to  make  up  the  material  wealth  and  prosperity  of  a  country. 

Happily  no  profound  discussion  of  any  question  in  which  you  as 
friends  of  the  Institute  are  interested,  is  called  for  on  this  occasion. 
I  shall  therefore  content  myself  with  a  few  obvious  comparisons  and 
illustrations  to  prove  what  everybody  already  knows,  that  we  are  in 
the  midst  of  progress  and  that  the  future  is  full  of  promise. 

THE  MECHANICS'  INSTITUTE. 

I  learn  from  the  reports  of  the  officers  of  the  Mechanics'  Institute 
that  it  was  founded  on  the  6th  day  of  March,  1855,  and  that  the  first 
exhibition  held  under  its  auspices  was  inaugurated  on  the  7th  day  of 
September,  1857. 


.'511911 


In  the  announcement  made  by  the  Managers  of  the  Institute 
some  time  previous  to  the  first  Exhibition,  the  influence  of  the  pro- 
posed enterprise  was  expressed  in  strong  and  hopeful  language.  It 
was  said  :  "  The  advantages  of  fairs  must  appear  obvious  to  every 
reflecting  mind ;  and  in  no  quarter  of  this  globe  do  they  promise 
more  than  in  California,  where  so  much  may  be  accomplished  by  the 
dissemination  of  correct  information  relative  to  her  natural  and 
artificial  resources.  Besides  exciting  emulation,  extending  practical 
knowledge,  suggesting  ideas  to  ingenious  minds,  affording  tangible 
evidence  of  superiority,  stimulating  talent,  exhibiting  the  progress  of 
arts,  promoting  extensive  intercourse  among  producers  and  their 
patrons,  they  cannot  fail  to  excite  a  world-wide  interest  in  regard  to 
our  State  and  extend  reliable  information  respecting  its  resources, 
which  will  tend  to  encourage  immigration  and  permanently  establish 
beneath  our  genial  skies  an  industrious,  enlightened,  prosperous  and 
happy  population." 

It  is  pleasant  now  to  note  the  sanguine  expectations  of  the  origin- 
ators of  these  splendid  Exhibitions  and  know  that  they  have  been 
more  than  realized.  And  the  occasion  of  the  opening  of  this,  the 
Sixteenth  Industrial  Exhibition,  seems  a  fitting  opportunity  to  con- 
sider the  progress  that  has  been  made  in  California,  and  particularly 
in  San  Francisco,  in  the  last  24  years  in  those  departments  of  indus- 
try with  which  this  Institute  is  intimately  connected. 

PROGRESS     OF    THE    STATE. 

In  1857,  the  excitement  caused  by  the  discovery  of  rich  placer 
mines  nine  years  before  in  the  lower  ranges  of  the  Sierras  had  about 
run  its  course  with  the  exhaustion  of  the  surface  deposits. 

The  more  restless  of  the  adventurous  miners  had  either  departed 
for  their  Eastern  homes  or  were  searching  for  new  El  Dorados. 

The  Comstock  was  yet  unknown. 

It  was  a  period  when  the  future  of  the  State  seemed  uncertain, 
but  there  were  a  large  number  of  energetic  and  enterprising  young 
men  who  determined  not  to  abandon  without  further  trial  a  country 
which  in  their  eyes  gave  promise  of  a  great  future. 

A  few  farmers  scattered  here  and  there  over  the  State,  had  de- 
monstrated that  its  broad  sunny  valleys  were  capable  of  producing 
large  crops  of  grain  of  all  kinds,  while  fruits  and  vegetables  of  every 
description  grew  in  abundance. 


During  the  year  ending  July  i,  1857,  a  larger  crop  of  wheat, 
barley  and  oats  had  been  grown  than  was  necessary  ior  home 
consumption,  and  a  surplus  of  less  than  40,000  bushels  of  wheat, 
140,000  bushels  of  barley,  and  about  26,000  bushels  of  oats  was 
exported.  The  wheat  found  a  ready  and  profitable  market  abroad. 
The  fact  was  suggestive,  and  gave  encouragement  that  while  the  glory 
of  our  mineral  wealth  might  surfer  as  the  product  decreased,  there 
was  wealth  in  the  soil  that  would  give  the  State  a  more  enduring  and 
a  far  brighter  fame. 

An  agricultural  community  meant  an  abiding  and  industrious 
population  requiring  manufactures  to  supply  its  various  and  constantly 
increasing  wants.  This  was  the  theme  of  the  first  industrial  exhir 
bition  held  in  San  Francisco. 

THE    HARVESTS    OF  GRAIN. 

What  has  the  harvest  been?  The  wheat  and  flour  exports  from 
California  since  then  have  reached  the  enormous  figures  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty  millions  of  centals,  or  the  equivalent  of  more 
than  two  hundred  and  sixteen  millions  of  bushels.  The  export  of 
wheat  last  year  alone,  amounted  to  more  than  fifteen  millions  of 
centals  or  twenty-five  millions  of  bushels,  while  the  total  production 
probably  exceeded  thirty  millions  of  centals  or  fifty  millions  of 
bushels. 

The  barley  crop  for  1880,  has  been  estimated  to  exceed  5,000,000 
of  centals ;  the  wool  crop  at  at  46,000,000  of  pounds,  and  the  wine 
product  at  12,000,000  gallons. 

It  would  weary  you  to  go  through  the  whole  list  of  productions, 
but  enough  has  been  stated  to  show  how  generously  the  soil  and  cli- 
mate have  responded  to  the  predictions  made  twenty- four  years  ago. 

Now  what  has  the  patient,  hard-working  mechanic  been  doing  all 
these  years.  There  are  no  statistics  at  hand  showing  the  extent  of 
the  manufactures  in  San  Francisco  in  1857,  for  this  kind  of  industry 
was  then  in  its  infancy.  The  Assessor  of  this  city  and  county  reports 
that  the  total  value  of  manufactures  in  San  Francisco  during  the  year 
1880  was  $72,364,680,  and  that  the  number  of  men,  women  and 
boys  employed  was  28,232.  This  is  an  increase  over  the  year  previ- 
ous of  $2,869,800  in  the  value  of  articles  manufactured,  and  2,671 
in  the  number  of  men,  women  and  boys  employed. 


6 


Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  Pavilion  used  for  the  first  Exhibition 
covering  less  than  half  an  acre  and  giving  floor  space  of  only  20,000 
square  feet,  has  given  place  to  the  present  immense  structure  covering 
more  than  four  acres  of  ground  and  furnishing  floor  space  of  190,700 
square  feet?  We  are  not  surprised  either  when  we  are  told  that  the 
present  building  must  give  way  to  still  another  and  that  before  the 
time  comes  round  for  the  next  Exhibition,  a  permanent  building  is 
to  be  erected  of  such  grand  proportions  and  architecture  as  to  be  at 
once  the  pride  of  the  city  and  the  glory  of  the  State. 

All  honor  to  the  public-spirited  gentlemen  who  founded  the 
Mechanics'  Institute.  All  honor  to  their  successors  who  have  sup- 
ported and  carried  it  forward  to  the  important  position  it  now  occu- 
pies, as  a  substantial  power  in  developing  the  mechanical  industries 
of  the  city  and  State. 

THE    MASTER    OF    LIFE. 

"  Mind  acting  through  the  useful  arts,"  says  Mr.  Everett,  "  is  the 
vital  principle  of  modern  civilized  society." 

"  The  mechanician,  not  the  magician,  is  now  the  master  of  life. 
He  kindles  the  fires  of  his  steam  engine,  and  the  rivers,  the  lakes, 
the  ocean,  are  covered  with  flying  vessels ;  mighty  chain-pumps  des- 
cend, clanking  and  groaning,  to  the  deepest  abysses  of  the  coal  mines, 
and  rid  them  of  their  deluge  of  waters  :  and  spindles  and  looms  ply 
their  task  as  if  instinct  with  life.  It  is  the  necromancy  of  the  creative 
machinist."  This  was  said  forty-four  years  ago,  and  it  makes  one 
curious  to  know  what  graceful  thought  would  have  been  suggested  to 
the  eloquent  orator  by  the  wonderful  machinery  that  now  lifts  the 
water  from  the  profound  depths  of  the  Comstock  lode.  How  much 
more,  too,  would  he  have  been  impressed  with  the  great  and  all-per- 
vading power  of  mechanic  arts  as  they  have  since  been  developed  in 
all  departments  of  industry? 

If  we  examine  the  discoveries  of  the  past  centuries  and  compare 
them  with  the  inventions  of  our  own  times,  we  feel  a  pride  in  point- 
ing out  where  the  genius  of  man  has  triumphe'd  here  and  there  in 
solving  some  great  mechanical  difficulty,  and  we  are  often  surprised, 
when  the  problem  is  solved,  to  find  it  had  not  been  done  before. 

The  expansive  power  of  steam  was  known  long  before  Watt  put 
it  into  the  form  that  has  developed  into  the  modern  steam  engine. 


The  electric  current  was  known  and  recognized  by  the  ancients, 
but  who  among  them  ever  dreamed  of  applying  it  to  the  uses  of  to- 
day— the  telegraph,  the  telephone,  the  phonograph,  or  the  commer- 
cial light  ? 

The  principles  involved  in  the  power  and  pressure  of  water  have 
been  more  or  less  understood  and  utilized  for  centuries,  but  it  was 
the  modern  inventor  that  adapted  those  principles  to  the  hydraulic 
lift,  the  hydrostatic  engine,  and  the  hydraulic  nozzle. 

And  so  with  innumerable  things,  in  innumerable  ways,  genius, 
necessity  and  opportunity  separately  and  jointly  have  supplied,  im- 
proved and  invented. 

INVENTIVE    GENIUS    IN  CALIFORNIA. 

In  points  of  mechanical  invention  and  adaptation,  California  has 
no  need  to  fell  ashamed  of  her  record,  and  when  we  consider  that  the 
predominating  influences  here  have  not  been  favorable  to  deep 
thought  and  careful  study,  except  as  exigencies  have  arisen  which 
momentarily  commanded  concentration  of  mind,  the  many  evidences 
of  genius  among  our  mechanics  and  thinking  men  invoke  admiration 
and  satisfaction. 

In  some  of  the  modern  inventions  California,  perhaps,  furnishes 
some  of  the  best  examples  that  can  be  found  of  improvements  in  the 
use  and  economy  of  forces.  This  is  entirely  natural  and  reasonable) 
when  we  remember  that  our  population  was  not  the  result  of  growth 
upon  the  soil.  We  were  all  Topsy's — "  Never  was  born ;  never  had 
no  father,  nor  mother,  nor  nothin'.  I  was  raised  by  a  speculator,  with 
lots  of  others."  Our  raising  seems  to  have  shaped  our  character. 
Nature  appeared  to  us  strangely  accoutered,  and  to  subdue  it  quickly 
and  effectively,  we  have  sought  for  the  best  weapons  we  could  find. 

A  friendly  critic  said  of  us  a  few  years  ago,  that  we  appeared  like 
a  brand-new  people  with  a  brand-new  country.  He  saw  no  evidences  of 
a  former  generation.  No  old  people,  no  ancient  places,  no  antique 
things,  no  relics.  It  was  as  though  in  the  school  of  events  it  had  been 
determined  to  try  the  experiment  of  placing  a  perfectly  clean  slate 
(not  a  political  one)  in  the  hands  of  a  new  generation  of  men,  and 
requiring  them,  without  rule,  direction  or  copy  to  work  out  the  sum 
of  all  their  capacities.  With  such  a  people  there  was  no  prejudice 
against  new  appliances. 


The  farmer  commenced  work  without  old  tools,  and  of  course  he 
was  anxious  to  get  the  best  of  the  new.  The  miner  was  obliged  to 
invent  new  machinery  to  enable  him  to  search  for  the  hidden  treasure, 
or  he  must  abandon  the  pursuit.  The  prize  was  a  glittering  one,  and 
he  began  to  think.  When  a  iull-grown  man,  accustomed  to  toil  and 
struggle,  is  urged  by  a  powerful  incentive  to  think,  he  generally  goes 
direct  to  the  point.  He  may  grasp  his  subject  awkwardly,  and  even 
fail  to  comprehend  it ;  but  the  chances  are  that  he  will  break  tfirough 
some  mystery  by  force  and  reach  a  truth,  the  road  to  which  will  after- 
ward be  explained  by  the  scholar  on  strictly  scientific  principles. 

THE   MINERS — ORIGIN    OF    HYDRAULIC    MINING. 

The  California  miners  have  done  wonders  in  increasing  the  power 
of  man's  agencies  in  the  search  for  the  precious  metals. 

In  1852  it  occurred  to  a  Placer  county  miner  that  the  pressure  of 
water  might  be  used  in  working  a  gravel  claim.  He  accordingly 
placed  a  barrel  in  some  convenient  place  high  above  the  ground  he 
desired  to  work.  Into  the  barrel  he  led  a  small  stream  of  water  and 
made  a  reservoir.  From  the  barrel  to  his  claim  he  stretched  a  hose 
made  of  common  rawhide,  and  ending  in  a  four-foot  tin  tube,  the 
nozzle  of  which  was  one  inch  in  diameter.  This  cheap  and  simple 
contrivance  proved  to  be  equal  to  the  labor  of  several  men  in  remov- 
ing the  earth  and  washing  out  the  gold,  and  was  the  origin  of  what  is 
now  known  all  over  the  world  as  hydraulic  mining. 

The  need  of  a  large  quantity  of  water  under  heavy  pressure  for 
this  kind  of  mining  has  required  its  conveyance  for  long  distances 
around  mountains  and  across  deep  gorges.  Here  the  inventive 
genius  of  the  miner  has  enabled  him  to  overcome  difficulties  which 
at  first  seemed  insurmountable.  The  old  heavy  metal  pipe  could 
not  well  be  secured  and  supported  at  a  great  height ;  but  by  successive 
improvements  a  thin  sheet-iron  pipe  takes  its  place,  and  may  now  be 
seen  suspended  across  gorges  nearly  2,000  feet  in  depth. 

At  the  mine  where  the  water  is  used  it  is  now  discharged  from  an 
ingeniously  contrived  nozzle,  under  a  pressure  that  makes  the  stream 
as  rigid  as  a  bar  of  steel.  It  plays  with  huge  bowlders  as  a  child 
would  play  with  marbles,  and  yet  it  is  as  easily  controlled  as  the 
water  faucet  in  your  chamber  basin. 

What  a  marvel  of  power  and  convenience  has  been  developed 
since  the  first  experiment  in  1852  !  But  here  I  am  assailed  by  a  dis- 


0 


tressing  doubt.  Has  all  this  power  and  mechanism  been  entirely 
beneficial?  I  fear  that  it  has  not.  The  miner  has  been  expeditious 
and  successful  in  scouring  the  hills  for  gold,  but  what  has  become  of 
the  mountains  of  earth  he  has  washed  down  ?  This  is  dangerous 
ground.  It  has  been  said  that  rivers  have  been  filled  up  and  large 
tracts  of  agricultural  land  destroyed  by  it.  It  is  said  also  that  under 
the  aggressive  name  of  debris  it  has  found  its  way  into  the  halls  of 
legislation  and  produced  fearful  havoc  in  the  political  and  financial 
affairs  of  the  State. 

If  all  this  is  true,  we  must  find  either  an  engineer  or  politician — 
if  he  has  not  been  found  already — -who  will  have  the  genius  to  follow 
up  the  inventions  and  improvements  in  this  branch  of  industry,  with 
some  new  and  effective  device  that  will  make  the  hydraulic  miner  an 
unqualified  blessing  or  abolish  him  altogether. 

THE    QUARTZ    MINER. 

The  quartz  miner  has  also  done  much  in  improving  the  methods 
and  machinery  long  used  for  extracting  and  crushing  ores. 

For  three  or  four  hundred  years  the  ponderous  looking  stamps 
used  in  the  quartz  mills  of  mining  countries  and  brought  here  when 
quartz  mining  first  commenced,,  were  bobbing  up  and  down  in  a  most 
ridiculously  ineffective  manner.  The  stamp  used  was  square  and  had 
a  square  wooden  shaft,  and  the  whole  was  lifted  by  a  cam  (usually 
also  of  wood),  working  in  a  long  cut  in  the  square  stamp-head.  Some 
bright  fellow  in  the  mountains,  having  no  reverence  for  this  aged 
contrivance,  gave  it  new  youth  and  vigor  by  substituting  iron  for 
wood  and  a  cylindrical  shaft  and  stamp-head  for  the  square  apparatus. 

He  thus  simplified  the  construction  of  the  several  parts  of  the 
stamp,  and  then  by  giving  it  a  rotary  motion,  made  the  shoes  which 
crush  the  rock  wear  uniformly,  and  that  is  your  quartz  mill  of  to-day. 

This  was  an  exceedingly  simple  but  valuable  improvement,  and 
the  great  wonder  is  that  it  was  not  made  before. 

As  early  as  1854,  the  hydraulic  jack  was  employed  by  an  ingenious 
mechanic  in  this  city  for  raising  massive  buildings.  Since  then  the 
same  method  has  been  used  in  Chicago  and  other  large  cities  for  a 
like  purpose. 

A  small  stream  of  water  conducted  through  small  pipes  to  num- 
erous hydraulic  jacks  has  quickly,  steadily  and  silently  done  the  work, 


10 

which  would  otherwise  have  required  the  employment  of  a  large  force 
of  men  in  a  slow  and  dangerous  operation. 

THE    FEATURE    OF    THE    DAY. 

The  feature  of  the  day,  and  that  which  strikes  an  observer  most 
forcibly,  is  the  application  of  well-known  scientific  principles  in 
simple,  easy  ways  for  the  performance  of  work  about  the  foundry, 
the  machine  shop,  the  mill  or  the  factory.  Turn  where  you  will,  and 
you  will  find  some  simple  device  which  solves  a  problem,  the  solution 
of  which  has  cost  hours  of  thought  and  patient  application.  So 
simple  and  obvious  are  many  of  these  modern  scientific  improve- 
ments to  machinery,  that  one  can  but  wonder  at  the  delay  in  applying 
in  practice  a  knowledge  of  principles  which  have  been  understood  so 
long.  Only  the  other  day  I  saw  in  an  engine-room  of  one  of  the 
large  mills  of  this  city,  a  contrivance  which  was  represented  to  be 
simple,  and  it  so  appeared. 

It  was  certainly  very  useful,  and  the  explanation  I  had  of  it  was  so 
interesting,  I  determined  to  make  a  note  of  its  operation. 

Within  a  huge  steam  cylinder,  under  a  pressure  of  from  80  to  100 
pounds  to  the  square  inc  h,  a  piston  traverses  from  end  to  end,  ac- 
cording to  the  speed  of  the  engine,  perhaps  fifty,  sixty  or  seventy 
times  every  minute.  Each  square  inch  of  the  circumference  of  the 
piston  bears  closely  enough  upon  the  interior  surface  of  the  cylinder 
during  its  rapid  movements  to  prevent  the  passage  of  the  subtle 
steam  even  under  the  tremendous  pressure  which  is  required  to  fur- 
nish the  power  for  all  the  motion  in  this  large  establishment. 

To  maintain  this  great  speed  with  economy  of  power  and  safety 
the  constant  and  regular  introduction  of  some  lubricant  is  necessary, 
but  the  place  in  which  it  is  required  seems  inaccessible. 

The  problem  of  how  to  do  this  in  the  most  satisfactory  manner 
was  solved  by  a  San  Francisco  mechanic,  and  the  whole  principle  in- 
volved was  the  simple  one  of  specific  gravity. 

THE    OIL    IN    THE    GLASS    TUBE. 

The  whole  world  has  always  known  that  oil  was  lighter  than  water, 
but  it  was  only  recently  that  this  knowledge  was  made  use  of  to  in- 
troduce oil  into  a  cylinder  against  a  pressure  of  100  pounds  to  the 
square  inch. 

Do  you  ask  how  it  was  done  ? 


11 


The  inventive  mechanic  tapped  the  feed-pipe  of  the  cylinder  and 
led  a  small  pipe  from  this  point  by  a  circuit  of  a  few  feet  to  a 
point  in  the  same  feed-pipe  nearer  the  cylinder.  Midway  in  this 
second  pipe  he  interposed  an  oil  cup.  The  oil,  subject  to  a  pressure 
each  way  equal  to  the  cylinder  pressure,  be  it  what  it  may,  is  in  a 
state  of  equilibrium.  But  the  effect  of  conducting  the  steam  to  the 
cup  in  the  small  pipe  is  to  give  it  an  extra  exposure  to  the  air  and 
produce  a  slight  condensation  of  steam  into  water.  Each  drop  of 
water  as  it  trickles  from  the  pipe  and  settles  into  the  oil  cup,  displaces 
a  drop  of  oil,  which  immediately  rises  and  is  carried  through  the  cir- 
cuit and  into  the  cylinder  with  the  steam  where  it  performs  its  in- 
tended office.  So  simple,  so  perfect,  so  successful  and  economical 
was  this  devise  that  it  did  not  seem  capable  of  improvement.  And 
yet  some  bright  ingenious  mechanic  saw  that  the  thing  was  not  com- 
plete ;  that  in  the  hands  of  a  shiftless  man  even  this  device  might 
be  used  wastefully.  To  him  occurred  the  idea  that  a  glass  tube  filled 
with  water  might  be  interposed,  forming  a  part  of  the  return  pipe, 
from  the  cup  to  the  cylinder,  and  thus  each  drop  of  oil  as  it  proceeds 
on  its  errand  might  be  compelled  to  reveal  itself  to  the  engineer. 

Need  I  say  that  it  was  exceedingly  interesting  to  stand  by  that 
cylinder,  feel  its  mighty  throb,  realize  the  enormous  power  it  exerted, 
and  observe  through  the  simple  glass  tube  just  described  the  drops 
of  oil  hastening  on  with  accuracy  and  dispatch  to  perform  their  ap- 
pointed duty. 

CABLE    ROADS   IN    SAN    FRANCISCO. 

In  this  city,  under  our  very  eyes,  we  have  seen  a  revolution  created 
in  the  system  of  street  railroads,  and,  while  to  the  public  of  San 
Francisco  the  transition  has  been  gradual  and  familiar,  the  invention 
is  of  such  a  character  as  to  deserve  here  special  mention,  because  the 
inventor  was  for  many  years  the  President  of  this  noble  and  enter- 
prising society,  and  the  invention  itself  is  another  example  of  what 
Californians  are  doing  for  the  world. 

For  many  years  horse-flesh  has  been  the  principal  motive  power 
used  in  carrying  people  to  and  fro  in  cities  and  towns.  And  as  the 
democratic  omnibus  succeeded  the  more  aristocratic  cab,  it  in  time 
became  supplanted  by  the  less  noisy,  more  convenient  and  less  costly 
street  car,  but  they  all  had  to  be  drawn  by  horses,  and  as  these  modes 


12 


of  conveyance  multiplied,  as  they  naturally  did  from  their  convenient 
and  cheap  mode  of  transit,  more  horses  were  used  and  a  larger  num- 
ber killed  by  overwork,  especially  on  streets  where  the  ascent  was 
steep,  or  where  the  number  of  passengers  carried  was  very  great. 

Steam  motors,  compressed  air,  latent  steam  and  other  plans  had 
been  tried  without  success,  and  methods  that  could  be  operated  on 
country  roads  were  not  permitted  to  be  used  in  cities  and  towns. 

Large  corporations  were  formed  for  carrying  on  street  railroad 
traffic,  and  possessing  thousands  of  horses,  immense  stables  for  their 
care  and  maintenance  were  required. 

In  such  cities  as  Philadelphia,  where  streets  are  almost  level  and 
laid  out  at  right  angles,  the  city  railroad  companies  have  a  car  line  on 
every  street,  and  make  large  profits  on  their  passengers  at  the  rate  of 
fare  charged. 

But  in  many  cities  like  San  Francisco,  where  the  streets  run  up 
and  over  steep  hills,  the  service  to  'the  public  was  poor,  the  remun- 
eration to  the  Company  was  not  great,  while  the  comfort  and  care  of 
the  poor  horses  were  certainly  as  bad  as  could  possibly  be. 

The  higher  hills  of  the  city  were  uninviting,  except  to  the  enthusi- 
astic climber  who  had  just  arrived,  and  wanted  to  get  a  bird's-eye 
view  of  the  State. 

At  the  north  end  of  the  city,  the  cars  of  the  Omnibus  Railroad 
Company  were  drawn  up  Jackson  street  from  Kearny  to  Stockton,  a 
distance  of  875  feet,  by  five  horses,  the  elevation  in  that  distance 
being  73  feet. 

In  the  winter  evenings,  when  the  cars  were  crowded,  the  struggle 
of  those  unfortunate  horses  up  the  steep  hill  was  something  terrible. 

It  was  on  such  an  occasion,  in  the  winter  of  1869,  that  A.  S.  Hal- 
lidie  was  watching  the  efforts  of  the  horses  to  draw  up  an  overcrowded 
car,  when  one  of  the  animals  slipped  on  the  wet  cobbles  and  fell, 
throwing  down  the  horse  behind  him.  The  brakes  were  immediately 
put  on,  and  the  horses  urged  to  regain  their  footing,  but  the  brakes 
being  insufficient  to  hold  the  car  on  the  steep  incline,  it  slid  back- 
ward, dragging  the  horses  down  the  hill  to  the  crossing  below. 

To  this  incident  we  are  indebted  for  the  cable  road  of  to-day  and 
all  its  attendant  comforts. 


13 


A.    S.    HALLIDIES    PLANS    MATURED. 

Within  two  years  Mr.  Hallidie  had  matured  his  plans  for  a  road, 
but  like  all  such  inventions  and  enterprises,  it  did  not  at  first  meet 
with  much  encouragement,  and  but  for  the  assistance  and  co-operation 
of  two  or  three  gentlemen,  who  saw  in  it  more  than  the  mere  fancy 
of  an  inventive  mind,  it  would  have  slumbered  where  it  was  born. 

In  September,  1873,  the  first  railroad  of  the  kind  ever  built  was 
constructed  on  Clay  street  in  this  city,  and,  while  a  great  many  diffi- 
culties and  obstacles  had  been  overcome,  and  notwithstanding  it  sur- 
prised the  majority  of  the  people  by  the  simplicity  of  its  working,  it 
yet  failed  for  some  time  to  convince  the  skeptical  of  its  ultimate  suc- 
cess, but  as  it  continued  to  run  month  after  month  under  the  care 
and  guidance  of  its  master,  it  gradually  won  the  confidence  and  ad- 
miration of  the  entire  public. 

The  simple  principles  involved  and  their  ingenious  adaptation 
mark  the  value  of  the  invention  and  the  success  of  the  undertaking. 

And  what  a  revolution  it  has  made  in  the  mode  of  transporting 
passengers  in  this  city  ! 

The  hills  have  fallen  down  before  it,  and  they  are  now  even  more 
accessible  and  certainly  more  desirable  for  residence  than  the  level 
portions  of  the  city. 

Where  the  goats  used  to  frolic  on  California  street  hill,  mighty  rail- 
road kings  have  built  their  palaces.  The  bald  old  hill  has  taken  on  all 
the  bewitching  charms  of  a  young  girl  with  a  bright,  new  poke  bon- 
net, while  Clay  street  and  Russian  hills,  decked  out  in  new  finery, 
flirt  with  those  brown  old  hills  across  the  Gate  in  Marin  county. 

SUMMIT    OF    CLAY    STREET    HILL. 

The  summit  of  Clay  street  hill,  reached  by  the  cable  road,  is  307 
feet  above  the  starting  point  at  Kearny  street,  and  the  time  required 
to  make  the  transit  is  six  minutes,  by  cars  that  depart  every  five  min- 
utes, ascending  the  steep  incline  as  noiselessly  and  as  lightly  as  a 
bird  in  flight.  The  feelings  of  personal  discomfort,  of  commiseration 
for  the  tired  and  straining  horses  are  entirely  absent,  and  the  weary 
passenger  returning  home  enjoys  a  rest  of  body  and  soul. 

Property  on  these  hills,  which  before  the  advent  of  these  roads 
could  be  purchased  at  almost  any  price,  now  commands  high  figures 
and  is  being  rapidly  built  upon  and  improved. 


14 


It  is  eight  years  ago  yesterday  since  the  first  experimental  trip  was 
made  on  the  Clay  street  road,  which  at  that  time  was  2,880  feet  long. 

Since  then  the  road  has  been  extended  to  double  that  length. 
Four  other  roads  have  been  built,  and  another  is  now  in  course  of 
construction.  On  the  five  roads  now  in  operation  steam  machinery 
is  employed  of  the  aggregate  of  1,300  horse-power,  keeping  in  motion 
for  18  hours  each  day  17  miles  of  steel  wire  rope,  containing  2,350 
miles  of  wire  and  transporting  40,000  passengers  daily. 

Under  the  old  system,  one  horse  would  draw,  on  a  nearly  level 
roa.i,  an  average  of  forty  passengers  daily;  but  ten  thousand  horses 
could  not  perform  the  work  of  our  present  cable  roads.  Another 
item  is  the  expense.  On  the  Clay  street  cable  road  36  pounds  of 
coal  will  draw  40  passengers;  or,  in  other  words,  9-10  of  a  pound  of 
coal,  costing  3-10  of  one  cent,  represents  the  cost  of  fuel  in  drawing 
one  passenger. 

While  the  underground  railroad  is  the  peculiar  feature  of  London, 
and  the  elevated  railroad  is  in  like  manner  the  feature  of  New  York, 
San  Francisco  takes  special  pride  in  her  cable  roads,  in  which  there 
has  been  already  invested  a  capital  of  one  and  one-fourth  millions  of 
dollars. 

The  enterprising  city  of  Chicago,  that  never  does  things  by  halves, 
is  building  a  series  of  cable  roads  which  will  cost  over  two  millions 
of  dollars. 

Thus  it  will  appear  that  while  the  design  of  the  inventor  was 
more  particularly  to  overcome  the  difficulties  of  steep  grades,  it  will 
prove  there,  as  it  has  here,  admirably  adapted  to  level  streets,  and 
the  result  will  probably  be  that  the  principal  citfes  of  the  Union  will 
be  compelled  to  adopt  the  system  on  account  of  its  economy,  noise- 
lessness,  rapidity  and  general  comfort. 

I  might  go  on  and  multiply  illustrations  of  the  inventive  genius  of 
our  people,  but  time  does  not  permit  of  extending  the  inquiry  further 
on  this  occasion.  Let  me,  however,  recommend  you  to  visit  the 
Mechanics'  Pavilion,  and  there,  among  the  thousands  of  articles  ex- 
hibited, showing  the  latest  productions  of  the  farm,  the  machine  shop, 
the  factory  and  studio,  you  will  find  improvements  and  inventions 
both  novel  and  curious,  to  excite  your  study  and  admiration. 


15 


OUR    MATERIAL    RESOURCES. 

If  it  now  appears  that  we  have  an  abundance  of  mechanical 
genius  in  this  State,  the  next  question  of  interest  is,  Have  we  the 
material  in  the  soil  on  which  to  found  a  large  and  comprehensive  in- 
dustry ?  Has  nature  provided  large  sources  of  water-power,  and 
stored  up  heat  in  forests  of  timber  and  fields  of  coal  ?  The  question 
is  answered  in  a  word. 

The  water-power  of  the  western  slope  of  the  Sierras  has  been  esti- 
mated to  exceed  that  of  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont.  Massa- 
chusetts, Rhode  Island,  Connecticut,  New  York,  New  Jersey  and 
Delaware. 

This  tremendous  force  is  now  employed  in  only  a  limited  way  by 
the  hydraulic  miner,  while  in  the  winter  season  it  spends  itself  ex- 
travagantly in  flooding  the  valleys  below. 

The  time  will  soon  come  when  the  hundreds  of  miles  of  ditches, 
canals  and  flumes  that  now  line  the  mountain  sides  for  mining  pur- 
poses will  be  utilized,  and  their  capacity  increased  to  supply  power 
for  manufactories. 

FORESTS   AND    COAL    FIELDS. 

The  immense  forests  of  timber  found  in  the  Coast  Range  and 
Sierras  should  be  a  source  of  untold  and  lasting  wealth  to  the  State 
in  supplying  lumber  for  building  purposes,  material  for  all  kinds  of 
wood-work,  and  fuel  for  mills  and  factories,  but,  unfortunately,  the 
lumber  man,  although  enterprising  and  liberal,  is  plying  an  exceed- 
ingly wasteful  trade.  .  He  plants  his  greedy  saw-mill  in  the  forest 
beside  the  river,  and  immediately  enters  into  a  conspiracy  with  steel 
and  water  to  carry  on  a  work  of  destruction.  The  splendid  groves 
that  nature  required  a  thousand  years  to  rear  in  their  sublime 
grandeur,  are  prostrated  in  a  few  days.  The  choice  portions  of  these 
great  trees  are  soon  converted  into  lumber,  but  the  remainder  is  too 
often  burned  or  allowed  to  rot  upon  the  ground. 

There  should  be  more  economy  exercised  in  supplying  our  present 
wants  from  these  ancient  woods,  for  the  time  may  come  when  every 
stick  of  wood  a  foot  long  will  have  a  commercial  value. 

The  present  very  able  and  energetic  President  of  this  Society  can 
tell  you  more  about  the  coal  fields  of  this  State  and  coast  than  I  can, 


16 


and  I  have  no  doubt,  but  that  I  would  express  his  knowledge  on  the 
subject  in  a  business-like  way,  by  saying  that  they  are  well-nigh  inex- 
haustible. 

It  is  proper  to  say,  however,  that  it  was  at  one  time  supposed  that 
the  lack  of  large  deposits  of  good  coal  was  one  of  the  few  things 
wanting  to  found  in  this  State  a  great  mechanical  industry. 

The  discovery  of  tertiary  coal  fields — a  more  recent  formation 
than  the  anthracite  or  bituminous  coal — and  sometimes  improperly 
called  lignite,  was  considered  as  an  indication  that  the  older  and  bet- 
ter series  would  not  be  found  on  this  coast.  I  remember  the  charm- 
ing excuse  that  was  made  some  years  ago  that  nature  had  been  so 
busy  making  gold  and  silver  she  had  not  had  time  to  complete  her 
manufacture  of  coal,  and  we  had  surprised  her  in  the  act.  This  is 
proven  to  be  only  partially  true,  for  the  quality  of  our  coal  improves 
with  each  new  discovery,  until  now,  for  smith  purposes  as  well  as  for 
fuel,  our  home  product  promises  soon  to  supply  all  our  home  demands. 

Prospectors  also  report  discoveries  of  coal  of  a  quality  that  will 
yield  excellent  coke  and  hard  coal  suitable  for  the  forge.  The  con- 
sumer is  thus  assured  that  all  his  wants  in  this  respect  will  soon  be 
fully  supplied  in  both  quantity  and  quality  by  home  production. 

THE    FIRST    IRON    MADE    IN    CALIFORNIA. 

At  this  point  the  pleasant  duty  devolves  upon  me  to  make  the 
announcement  of  an  event  of  more  importance  to  the  people  of  this 
coast  than  the  result  of  an  election  or  the  birth  of  a  prince.  And 
yet  it  is  indeed  the  birth  of  a  king  that  I  am  called  upon  to  proclaim 
to  you.  A  king  wielding  an  influence  more"  potent  than  gold  and 
bearing  in  his  hands  the  sceptre  of  an  absolute  power. 

In  order  that  the  advent  of  this  new  dynasty  may  be  properly 
recorded  in  the  annals  of  the  State,  let  us  notice  with  some  particu- 
larity that  at  4  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning,  April  24,  1881,  the  first 
iron  ever  made  in  California  was  run  from  the  furnace.  The  event 
took  place  in  Placer  county,  and  the  locality  is  named  Hotaling,  in 
honor  of  the  well-known  San  Francisco  merchant,  who,  with  Irving 
M.  Scott  (a  former  President  of  this  Institute),  and  Egbert  Judson 
were  the  founders  of  this  enterprise. 

The  establishment  is  under  the  Superintendence  of  James  M. 
White.  It  produces  25  tons  of  pig  iron  per  day,  and  as  it  has  now 


17 


been  in  operation  just  100  days  its  production  has  been  2,500  tons. 
As  the  supply  of  ore,  fuel  and  other  materials  required  is  practically 
inexhaustible,  the  manufacture  of  pig  iron  may  now  be  considered  a 
permanent  business  in  this  State.  The  King  has  been  duly  installed. 
Long  live  the  King  !  But  you  may  ask  why  is  this  an  exceptionally 
important  event  in  California?  The  question  is  easily  answered.  It 
is  because  iron  enters  so  largely  and  generally  into  the  Mechanic 
Arts  that  they  can  scarcely  be  said  to  exist  without  it.  And  the  les- 
sons of  all  the  years  since  1849  have  been  that  we  must  make  use 
of  the  original  materials  that  have  been  so  generously  supplied  by 
Nature,  work  them  into  what  is  called  raw  materials,  and  in  the  man- 
ipulation of  the  latter  become  manufacturers,  or  we  will  lose  through 
competition  all  the  advantages  we  gain  in  other  departments. 

Foreign  burlaps  and  machinery  deprive  our  farmers  of  a  consider- 
able profit  on  their  grain  crop,  and  so  it  is  in  many  other  branches 
of  business. 

Any  community  that  obtains  its  raw  materials  from  abroad  is  at 
best  but  a  vassal  of  some  other  section,  while  every  addition  made 
to  its  products  is  a  link  severed  from  the  chain  of  dependence  that 
binds  it,  however  unwillingly,  to  a  distant  and  perhaps  an  unfriendly 
interest. 

The  manufacture  at  home  of  a  good  quality  of  pig  iron  liberates 
us  at  once  from  the  domination  of  the  foreign  metal  markets,  and 
makes  possible  the  manufacture  of  many  things  of  vast  importance 
to  the  people  of  this  coast.  Iron  plates  suitable  for  ship-building 
ought  to  be  made  here.  This  would  enable  the  Pacific  Coast  to  build 
and  own  a  fleet  of  ships  that  could  control  the  coast  and  foreign  trade 
in  the  interest  of  home  capital  and  enterprise. 

Then  would  arise  a  demand  for  skilled  as  well  as  unskilled  labor, 
and  by  cheapening  construction  extend  the  area  to  be  supplied,  build 
up  commercial  trade,  protect  our  merchants,  and  add  another  solid 
block  to  the  foundation  upon  which  our  future  greatness  will  rest. 

THE    MECHANIC    AND    HIS    FIELD. 

The  next,  and  by  far  the  most  important  factor  to  be  considered 
in  any  estimate  of  our  future  success  in  the  manufacturing  enter- 
prises, is  the  mechanic  himself,  for  without  him  all  these  calculations 
are  idle  and  useless. 


18 


The  question  is,  Does  this  State  furnish  an  inviting  field  in  which 
the  mechanic  can  work  out  the  problem  of  a  comfortable  existence  ? 

This  has  been  a  serious  question  in  the  presence  of  a  constantly 
increasing  foreign  horde,  rapidly  monopolizing  all  departments  of  la- 
bor; but  the  recent  ratification  by  both  parties  of  a  treaty  between 
the  United  States  and  China,  under  which  the  United  States  is  per- 
mitted to  restrict  this  non-assimilating  immigration,  gives  us  hope  to 
believe  that  this  vexed  question  will  soon  be  settled  in  favor  of  the 
Caucasian  race. 

Let  Congress  act  promptly  and  effectively  under  the  treaty  stipula- 
tion and  put  a  stop  to  this  invasion.  The  immense  number  of  ar- 
rivals by  every  steamer  warn  us  that  action  cannot  be  had  too  soon, 
and  we  look  to  our  representatives  in  both  Houses  of  Congress  for  a 
determined  effort  in  that  behalf.  With  this  question  settled,  the  me- 
chanics, and,  in  fact,  all  classes,  will  feel  more  contented.  Agitation 
will  necessarily  cease  when  the  cause  for  it  is  removed,  and  capital 
will  return  to  its  accustomed  channels.  Our  young  and  active  boys 
will  be  encouraged  to  learn  some  useful  trade  when  they  know  they 
will  not  be  driven  from  their  employment  by  a  race  with  whom  they 
cannot  compete  on  any  narrow  ground  in  a  contest  for  existence. 

EXCELLENCE  IN  WORKMANSHIP. 

There  does  not  seem  to  be  any  just  reason  why  this  State  should 
not  be  the  best  place  in  the  world  for  the  mechanic,  and  I  believe  it 
will  be  so  demonstrated  very  soon  ;  but  there  must  be  an  effort  made 
to  attain  excellence  in  workmanship  before  there  can  be  any  success- 
ful competition  with  the  manufactures  of  the  East  and  Europe. 

And  here  it  is  that  the  influence  of  this  institute  should  be  made 
aggressive  and  effective.  The  Society  is  to  be  congratulated  for  the 
splendid  work  it  has  already  accomplished.  Its  Library  of  over  30,- 
ooo  volumes  of  choice  literature,  including  the  best  collection  of 
scientific  works  on  the  coast,  is  a  matter  of  just  pride.  The  courses 
of  lectures  it  has  furnished  to  its  friends  and  patrons  have  been  exceed- 
ingly beneficial,  and  the  whole  State  has  eagerly  watched  the  improve- 
ments, encouraged  and  developed  by  the  periodical  exhibitions  given 
under  its  auspices.  But  something  more  should  be  done  in  the 
direction  of  education.  Our  young  men  and  boys  need  counsel  and 
instruction,  and  I  am  glad  to  know  that  I  but  reiterate  the  opinion  of 


19 


the  present  officers  of  this  Society,  and  their  predecessors  when  I  say> 
that  there  should  be  some  further  means  employed  for  imparting  in- 
struction in  the  mechanical  or  technical  arts. 

We  have  arrived  at  a  point  in  the  development  of  the  resources 
of  this  State  where  the  best  appliances  must  be  used,  and  the  most 
skillful  workmen  employed,  if  we  expect  to  keep  pace  with  the  world 
at  large. 

The  fruits  that  grew  near  at  hand  have  all  been  gathered,  and  we 
must  now  reach  and  climb  for  those  which  are  beyond  our  immediate 
grasp. 

The  first  miners  found  gold  near  the  surface,  and  generally  separ- 
ated it  from  the  earth  without  the  assistance  of  much  machinery,  or 
if  any  was  used,  it  was  of  the  most  simple  character.  But  now  we 
find  the  miner,  as  he  pursues  the  receding  metal  into  the  mountain, 
assisted  by  the  most  complicated  and  powerful  machinery  on  the 
globe,  while  he  himself  has  developed  genius  in  the  pursuit  and 
skill  in  controlling  and  directing  his  mechanical  agents.  And  so 
it  is  in  nearly  all  departments  of  industry.  What  the  State  wants  now 
is  men  specially  trained  and  skilled  in  their  respective  callings.  Here 
again  we  have  the  raw  materials  in  abundance. 

Our  boys  require  just  this  training  to  make  them  safe  citizens  and 
capable  of  becoming  a  power  in  the  great  forces  of  the  world.  It  is 
the  men  who  labor  in  some  legitimate  industrial  pursuit  that  furnish 
the  muscle  and  the  muscular  brain — if  I  may  be  permitted  to  use 
the  expression — to  blaze  pathways  into  the  mysterious  depths  of 
nature  and  nature's  forces. 

EVERY  BOY  SHOULD  LEARN  A  TRADE. 

Says  Mr.  Wendell  Phillips  in  his  recent  address  at  Harvard  Col- 
lege :  "  Book  learning  does  not  make  five  per  cent,  of  that  mass  of 
common  sense  that  'runs'  the  world,  transacts  its  business,  secures 
its  progress,  trebles  its  power  over  nature,  works  out  in  the  long  run 
a  rough  average  justice,  wears  away  the  world's  restraints  and  lifts 
off  its  burdens.  The  ideal  Yankee,  who  has  more  brains  in  his  hand 
than  others  have  in  their  skulls,  is  not  a  scholar — and  two-thirds  of 
the  inventions  that  enable  France  to  double  the  world's  sunshine  and 
make  Old  and  New  England  the  workshops  of  the  world  did  not 
come  from  colleges  or  from  minds  trained  in  the  school  of  science,  but 


20 


struggled  up,  forcing  their  way  against  giant  obstacles,  from  the  irre- 
pressible instinct  of  untrained  natural  power.  Her  workshops,  not 
her  colleges,  made  England  for  awhile  mistress  of  the  world—- 
and the  hardest  job  her  workman  had  was  to  make  Oxford  willing  he 
should  work  his  wonders." 

Every  boy  that  can,  should  learn  a  trade,  whether  he  expects  to 
follow  it  or  not.  Nothing  is  lost  in  learning  how  to  work.  If  the 
aim  of  the  boy  is  high,  so  much  the  better.  The  training  will  do 
him  good. 

But  it  has  been  said  that  there  is  no  room  here  for  a  great  many 
boys  to  learn  trades,  and  that  as  many  as  can  be  accommodated  are 
now  employed.  If  this  is  true,  let  us  hope  that  some  plan  will  be 
devised  at  once  to  teach  a  trade  to  every  boy  who  is  willing  to  learn. 
There  is  always  room  for  excellence.  Well  trained  men  can  always 
find  employment.  It  is  the  idle,  the  wasteful  and  extravagant  who 
are  always  being  pushed  to  the  wall.  There  is  generally  plenty  of 
work  for  those  who  are  skilled  and  willing  to  work,  and  always 
unsolved  problems  for  those  who  are  able  and  willing  to  think. 

"The  powers  of  man,"  says  Emerson,  "have  not  been  exhausted. 
Nothing  has  been  done  that  cannot  be  better  done.  There  is  no  ef- 
fort of  science  or  art  that  may  not  be  exceeded ;  no  depth  of  philo- 
sophy that  cannot  be  deeper  sounded ;  no  flight  of  imagination  that 
may  not  be  passed  by  strong  and  soaring  wings." 

Let  us  not  be  afraid  of  having  too  many  well  trained  men.  No 
nation  ever  suffered  from  this  class  of  population,  and  it  is  not  likely 
we  shall. 

A   NEW   ELEMENT   OF   WEALTH    AND    POWER. 

Mr.  President  and  gentlemen  of  the  Mechanics'  Institute,  persevere 
in  your  efforts  to  infuse  into  the  atmosphere  of  this  State  a  new  ele- 
ment of  existence,  wealth  and  power !  It  is  a  great  labor  with  which 
you  have  become  identified,  but  it  is  a  noble  work. 

As  you  proceed  you  may  suffer  many  disappointments.  This  is 
the  common  course  of  all  great  developments. 

"Checks  and  disasters, 
Grow  in  the  veins  of  actions  highest  rear'd 
As  knots,  by  the  conflux  of  meeting  sap 
Infect  the  sound  pine,  and  divert  his  grain 
Tortive  and  errant  from  the  course  of  growth." 


21 


But  the  ultimate  result  can  not  be  doubted.  The  pine  will  con- 
tinue to  grow,  and  this  State  must  continue  to  develop.  Its  commerce 
will  be  extended ;  its  manufactures  increased,  and  the  productions 
multiplied.  These  will  be  your  monuments. 

AN    AGE   OF   PROGRESS. 

If  we  look  abroad,  we  find  we  are  in  an  age  of  wonderful  activity 
and  progress,  and  we  are  in  the  line  of  march.  Take  for  example  the 
improvements  and  discoveries  in  the  field  of  electricity.  We  find 
that  rapid  strides  have  been  made  in  the  divisibility  of  the  current, 
while  Faure  in  France,  and  Brush  in  America,  have  solved  the 
problem  of  storing  electricity  in  convenient  packages,  that  will  con- 
tain this  suppressed  energy  for  an  indefinite  period,  and  can  be 
transported  any  distance.  Perhaps  this  invention  hints,  that  in  the 
near  future,  our  house  lights,  done  up  in  neat  packages,  will  be  left  at 
our  door,  and  the  empty  cans  taken  away  to  be  refilled.  No  smoke, 
no  smell,  no  dirt,  and  let  us  hope,  no  bill. 

Judging  from  what  we  already  know,  we  readily  admit  the  future 
marvelous  possibilities  of  electricity.  Its  use  to-day  in  the  city  of 
Berlin  as  a  motor  to  propel  street-cars,  may  be  the  practical  applica- 
tion of  a  principle  that  will  lead  to  its  employment  in  the  operation  of 
railroads,  and  the  future  Pullman  express  train  may  be  a  lightning  ex- 
press indeed,  with  speed  and  comfort  as  superior  to  our  present  ac- 
commodations as  the  latter  are  superior  to  the  old  stage  coach. 

The  improvements  and  new  uses  of  this  mysterious  power,  is  an 
illustration  of  what  is  being  done  in  every  department  of  force,  and 
in  every  place  where  the  welfare,  comfort  and  happiness  of  mankind 
is  the  subject  of  thought. 

Invention  has  summoned  the  nations  of  the  earth  to  a  grand  pro- 
cession in  honor  of  her  recent  great  discoveries.  The  United  States 
occupies  a  prominent  position  in  all  these  triumphs,  and  when  the  roll 
"of  States  is  called  we  must  be  ready  with  our  banners  to  show  what 
we  have  done  and  what  we  are  doing.  For  the  inhabitants  of  these 
States  are  but  one  people  in  all  the  elements  that  constitute  the  great- 
ness of  a  nation. 

We  are  one  people  in  all  the  glories  achieved  in  the  advancement 
of  science  and  arts,  and  in  the  bounteousness  of  productions. 


311911 


22 


We  are  one  people  in  all  our  hopes  and  aspirations  for  the  future 
fame  of  the  whole  country. 

We  are  one  people  in  a  great  sorrow  when  the  head  of  the  Nation 
suffers  and  comes  near  death's  door  at  the  cruel  hand  of  an  assassin. 

The  ties  of  interest  and  social  intercourse,  are  not  wanting  in 
strength  or  tenderness  between  the  people  of  different  sections  when 
the  whole  people  of  the  nation  stand  as  one  man,  uncovered  and  with 
bended  form  in  the  presence  of  a  mighty  grief  for  a  stricken  Presi- 
dent and  his  afflicted  family. 

During  the  past  month,  from  all  the  States  of  this  Union  there 
has  arisen  one  prayer  to  the  Throne  of  Mercy,  that  the  God  of 
Nations  might  spare  our  beloved  President. 

Perhaps  in  the  inscrutable  wisdom  of  Providence  even  this  great 
calamity  has  its  uses  in  serving  to  unite  us  all  in  the  closer  ties  of  a 
common  brotherhood. 

It  may  be  that  through  these  blinding  tears  we  may  see  our  way 
to  a  more  perfect  union,  and  the  dream  of  the  statesman  be  realized. 

"  When  the  people  throughout  our  almost  boundless  domain  may 
be  seen  coming  together  as  brothers,  with  one  love  of  country,  and 
one  hope  of  a  common  destiny — of  safety,  wrelfare  and  national 
glory — with  one  determination  to  achieve  it  by  united  efforts ;  inspired 
and  strengthened  by  an  equally  pure  and  ardent  patriotism ;  former 
differences  forgotten  and  nothing  remembered  but  their  ancient  con- 
cord and  the  equal  title  they  have  to  share  in  the  glories  of  the  past 
and  to  labor  together  for  the  even  greater  glories  of  the  future." 


2288 


OGHIVERSiO  OF  CALIFORNIA 

AT 


A     OOP  673  374 


